Machine for packaging articles



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MACHINE FOR PACKAGING ARTICLES Filed Sept. 21, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4INVENTOR Z Az-Awy 2M? dfidi ihl Patented July 24, 1962 Free 3,045,401MACHINE FOR PACKAGING ARTECLES Henry Ganz, Teaneck, N.J., assignor toContinental Can Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New YorkFiled Sept. 21, 1960, Ser. No. 57,493 3 Claims. (CI. 53-48) Theinvention relates to the tightening of a wrap-around paperboard carrierabout the containers which are to be packaged Within it.

My invention has special application for usewith the paperboard cartonswhich have closure and locking means or the type disclosed in patent ofArthur J. Weiss, Number 2,990,997, granted July 4,1961. To close andlock such a carton my invention can make use of a form of closing andlocking means similar tothat of the machine disclosed in my PatentNumber 2,986,857, granted June 6, 1961.

Summary In packaging articles in wrap-around paperboard carriers,experience has taught that there are many advantages to be obtained byproducing a tight package. By tightening the carton blank about thearticles, the blank grips the articles and prevents them fromaccidentally falling out of the open end portion of the package.

, Furthermore, tightening the carton blank during the clos ing operationinsures the proper engagement of the carton closure arrangement. Afurther advantage of producing a tight package is that it preventsrelative motion between the articles which can mar their surfaces andlabels or otherwise injure the articles.

In accordance with my invention a conveyer is provided for moving thecontainers to be packaged through the machine. The carton blanks whichare to be applied to groups of the containers include a top panel, sidepanels, and bottom closure panels. One of the bottom closure panels isprovided with a latching flap having catches disposed along the foldlines from which the flap extends. Opposite to the catches the latchingflap is provided with tab members. The other bottom. closure panel isprovided with a plurality of latch openings each being adapted toreceive and engage the catches and upon completion of the closure toreceive and engage the tab portions.

The carton blanks are applied to the groups of containers being conveyedthrough the machine. Subsequently the side panels of the blank arefolded downwardly along the outer sides of the containers. As the travelof the carton and the group of containers continues, the carton blank isfolded about the containers to form the package. As the carton blank isbeing folded about the containers, tightening forces are applied totheside panels of the carton blank in a lateral direction in order totighten the blank about the containers prior to the final closingoperation.

As the carton blank and the group ofcontainers ad vance, a folding barswings the bottom closure panel having the latch openings in an upwarddirection beneath the containers. At the same time an additional foldingbar initiates the upward swinging of the other bottom closure panel andthe directing of the catches in the direction of the latch openings.

To close the package it is essential that the catches be inserted intothe latch openings. To perform this op erat-i'on in a smooth andefficient manner it is necessary to tighten the wrap-around carton blankfirmly about the containers. This operation is performed by tighteningmembers which are reciprocated into contact with the portions of theside panels of the carton blank between the containers and adjacent tothe bottom closure panels.

The application of force by the reciprocating members at these locationsdraws the wraparound blank tightly about the containers and positionsthe bottom closure panels so that the path of travel of the latchingflap will carry the catches into engagement with the latch openings. Thereciprocating motion enables the tightening members to slowly andprogressively advance into contact with the side panels and then tosteadily apply the tightening forces to the carton blank. A plurality oftightener members can be employed which are spaced apart at distancesfrom one another corresponding to the interval between the containers.

The reciprocating tightening members then are moved along with thecontainers and carton blank as the closure of the blank is completed. Bymoving the tightening members at the same speed as the containers andcarton blank, the tightening forces are maintained during the entireclosing operation. After closure of the canton blank has been completed,the tightening members are reciprocated away from contact with the sidepanels so that the package is free to be advanced through the exitpontion of the machine.

In one form of the machine the reciprocating tighteners are operated bycam means. The cam operating means enables the approach of thetighteners toward the carton blank to have a controlled motion so thatforce may be appliedin a predetermined manner. The cam operating meansfor the tightening members has the additional advantage in that itprovides an integrated and compact tightening means which can be readilyadjusted to tighten carton blanks about containers of varyingdimensions.

Other features and advantages of my invention will appear as thedescription proceeds.

Description In the drawings, I have illustrated a machine to show thebest mode contemplated by me for carrying out my invention as to thetightening of a wraparound carton lank about containers to be packagedwithin it.

FiG. l is a plan view of the machine showing the tightening members andtheir cam operating means.

FIG. 2. is a sectional view showing the chain drive for moving thetightening members.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of one of thetightening members.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional View taken along the line 44 in FIG. 1,showing the initial upward folding of the bottom closure panel.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the lines55 in MG. 1, showing the tightening of the carbon blank about thecontainers.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the lines66 in FIG. 1, further showing the application of the tightening forcesto the container.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the tightening membersengaged with the slide panels of the carton blanks.

:FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the group of containerspackaged in the wrap-around carton blank.

Bottles 1t? which are to be packaged are delivered into the machinealong support plates '12. (FIG. 1). The bottles are delivered into andconveyed through the machine by means of pushers 13 which are pivotallyattached to drive chains 14. As the bottles are delivered along sup portplates 12, carton blanks 11 are placed upon the incoming bottles withtop panel 15 of the blank positioned above the bottles.

The top panel of carton 11 is provided with openings 16 adapted toreceive necks 17 of bottles 10 (FIG. 8). In addition, carton blank 11has side panels 18 and 19 and bottom closure panels 20 and 21. Sidepanels 18 and 19 may beprovided with cuts 22 and 23 as well as foldlines 24 so that the side panels can fit tightly about the lowerportions of the bottles adjacent to their bottoms.

The closure arrangement of carton blank 11 may be similar to thatdescribed in the patent of Arthur J. Weiss, Number 2,990,997, grantedJuly 4, 1961. The closure includes latching flap 25 extending frombottom closure panel 21 (FIGS. 4, and 6). Bottom closure panel 20 isprovided with latch openings 26 which are adapted to receive catches 27extending from latching flap 25 adjacent to bottom closure panel 21.Upon engaging catches 27 within latch openings 26 (FIGS. 5 and 6), theclosure is completed by swinging the latching flap upwardly and passingtabs 28 through latch openings 26 until the latching flap is againstbottom closure panel 28. During the closing operation catches 27 remainengaged with the portion of latch openings 26 adjacent to bottom closurepanel 21 so that the two bottom closure panels remain in contact withone another.

As the bottles are advanced along support plate 12, carton blank 11 isdeposited upon the bottles so that necks 17 pass through openings 16 intop panel 15. Side panels 18 and 19 are then folded downwardly along theouter side portions of the bottles. The arrangement for depositing thecarton blanks onto the bottles may be similar to that of the patent ofRobert H. Ganz, Number 2,998,685, granted September 5, 1961. Hookedportions 29 of pushers 13 convey the group, while at the same timesurfaces 30 of the pushers contact the trailing edges of side panels 18and 19 and urge the carton blank in the direction of travel. Drivechains 14 to which pushers 13 are pivotally attached are driven bysprockets 31.

As a group of bottles and a carton blank advance along support plates12, folding bar 32 (FIGS. 1 and 4) initiates the upward folding of panel20. With further movement along support plate 12 the leading edge ofbottom closure panel 21 contacts folding bar 33 and in turn is foldedupwardly (FIGS. 1 and 4). As the bottom closure panels continue to befolded upwardly the bottles and carton blanks are advanced along taperedportion 34 of support plate 12. At this location the carton blank isapproaching the point at which catch 27 must be directed through latchopenings 26 in order to initiate the closing operation of carton blank12. Consequently at this location it is necessary that side panels 18and 19 be pressed tightly about the bottles and that the bottles bepositioned against the bottles in the adjacent row so that alignment ofthe catches and latch openings may be insured.

To insure that carton blank 11 is drawn tightly about the bottles as theclosure of the bottom panels is initiated, tighteners 35 mounted in areciprocating manner in supports 36 are provided (FIGS. 2 and 3).Supports 36 are attached to drive chains 37 and are spaced apart at aninterval substantially corresponding to the distance between the bottlesof the group within a carton blank. To assures that tighteners 35 aremaintained in a position straddling the central bottle of a group ofbottles, drive chains 37 which are disposed about sprockets 38 and 39travel in substantially vertical planes. By suitable drives the pathvelocity of chains 37 is maintained substantially equal to that ofchains 14 by means of which the synchronism of the tighteners and thecarton is maintained throughout the travel of a package through themachine.

Each of the tighteners 35 are provided with head members 38 which haveboth sloping surfaces 39 and 40 adapted to maintain clearance with thebottles and end surface 41 adapted to be substantially parallel to theside panels of the carton blank. Tighteners 35 include rod 42 to one endof which is attached head 38 and to the opposite end of which isattached roller follower 43. In order that the tighteners perform theirtightening function, it is necessary that they be made to bear upon thecarton blank and exert inwardly directed forces against the carton blankand bottles. It is also necessary that the tighteners be free of thecarton blank prior to the point at which the tightening pressure is tobe applied. To fulfill these requirements cam means are provided toreciprocate the tighteners with respect to the carton blank. The cammeans includes cam members 44 having ramp portions 45 and 46 at theiropposite ends. Roller followers 43 are biased against earns 44 by meansof springs 47 attached to pins 48 extending from rods 42 and pins 49extending from supports 36. Whenever a roller follower passes beyondramp portion 46, spring 47 retracts rod 42 until pin 48 bears uponsupport 36, thereby preventing further outward movement of the rod. Therod remains in this position until the roller follower again enters uponramp portion 45.

As the bottles and cartons are advanced beyond tapered portion 34 ofsupport plate 12, bottom closure panel 20 travels along the straightportion 50 of folding bar 32 (FIG. 1). At the same time, bottom closurepanel 21 is folded beneath straight portion 51 extending from supportplate 12 by the action of folding bar 33. At this point the leadingtightener of a pair is advanced about sprocket 38 and onto the upperreaches of chains 37. As tightener 35 travels upwardly about sprocket38, roller follower 43 contacts ramp portion 45 with the result thattightener 35 is moved with respect to support 36 toward the cartonblank. Due to the synchronization of drive chains 14 and 37, the leadingtighteners are advanced between the forward and center bottles of agroup until head members 38 contact the side panels of the carton blankand initiate the tightening operation. As roller followers 43 advancebeyond ramp portions 45 and onto the straight portion of cams 44, thetrailing tighteners are reciprocated inwardly by ramps 45 until theyalso come into contact with the side panels of the carton. In thismanner the tightening forces are applied in succession to the portionsof the carton blank side walls disposed between fold lines 24 adjacentto the junction of the side panels and the bottom closure panels. Thesequential operation of the tightener provides a gradual tightening ofthe carton blank. The profile of ramp portions 45 may be varied tocontrol the rate of movement of the tighteners and therefore the rate ofapplication of the tightening forces.

Side rails 52 initially hold the carton blank side panels adjacent tothe bottles (FIG. 4). Upon the advancement of tighteners 35 in thedirection of the carton blank, head members 38 force the side panelsinwardly between the bottles and thereby urge the bottom closure panelstoward one another. This operation serves to tighten the package and atthe same time insure the free alignment of catches 27 with latchopenings 26 (FIG. 5).

With roller followers 43 of tighteners 35 travelling along the straightportions of cam 44, the closure of carton blank 11 is completed by meansof the type disclosed in my Patent Number 2,986,857, granted June 6,1961. Blade 53 forces bottom closure panel 20' against the bottom of thebottles adjacent to it. The action of folding blade 54 and edge 55 thenserve to direct catches 27 through latch openings 26. During theremainder of the travel of the carton blanks, latching fiap 25 isrotated upwardly and tabs 28 are directed through latch openings 26 soas to complete the closing operation.

As the carton advances adjacent to the end portion 56 of the closureapparatus, the application of the carton to the containers issubstantially completed and there is no further need of maintaining thetightening forces of tighteners 35. Consequently at this point cam 44 isprovidedwith ramp portion 46 which enables the tighteners to disengagefrom contact with the side panels of the carton. Springs 47 urge theroller followers 43 to remain in contact with cam portions 46 tocomplete the disengagement of the tighteners. The retraction of thetighteners is sufiiciently rapid to permit a free exit of the cartonblank and bottle assembly from the machine along support plates 57 and58.

Operation Bottles 10' are advanced into the machine along with cartonblank 11 disposed over them by the conveying action of pushers 13 drivenby chains 14. As the assembly of bottles and carton blank advances, thebottom closure panel is folded upwardly by means of folding bar 32. Atthe same time folding bar 33 initiates the upward folding of bottomclosure panel 19. As the carton blank and bottles advance along taperedportion 34 of support plate 12, it becomes necessary to apply lateralforces to the carton blank side panels to tighten the blank about thebottles in order that catches 27 may be engaged with latch openings 26.

The means of tightening the carton blank and bottles include tighteners35 which are mounted for reciprocation by supports 36 attached to chains37. Chains 37 operate over sprockets 38 and 39 in substantially verticalplanes. Tighteners 35 include head members 38 attached to rod members 42and adapted to intersect a portion of the side panels of the cartonbetween the end and center bottles of the group to be packaged. Thedrive to chain 37 and chains 13 are synchronized so that tighteners 35can be actuated as they travel along with the group of bottles andcartons and apply lateral pressure thereto as the closure of the cartonis being completed.

As the bottles advance from tapered portion 34 of supports plate 12toward straight portion 511, roller followers 43 of the leadingtighteners of a pair contact ramp portions 45 of cam members 44 as theytravel upwardly and about sprockets 38. As the followers leave the rampportions, the tighteners are sufficiently advanced that head members 38contact the portions of the side panel of the carton disposed betweenthe leading and middle bottles of the group adjacent to the junctionbetween the side panels and bottom closure panels. Subsequently thesucceeding tighteners of the pair are similarly advanced by the actionof ramp portions 45 so that their head members contact the side panelsof carton blank between the middle and the trailing bottles of thegroup. The tighteners maintain pressure substantially adjacent to theplane of the bottom closure panels so that the carton blank is drawntightly about the bottles and the bottom outside portions of the bottlesproject into the region of the carton blank including cuts 23 and 22 aswell as fold lines 24.

While the tighteners maintain side pressure on the cartons, the group'isadvanced and the closure of the carton blank is completed. Rollerfollowers 43 then move onto ramp portions 46 of cam member 44, therebyretracting and relieving the side pressure on the cartons. Thewithdrawal action of the tighteners insures that the carton blank andbottles have complete freedom to travel through the exit portion of themachine.

The terms and expressions which have been employed are used in adescriptive and not a limiting sense, and there is no intention ofexcluding such equivalents of the invention described as fall within thescope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine for applying a wrap-around carton blank to containersand the like arranged in rows, said carton blank having a top panehsidepanels, and interlocking bottom closure panel's, means for conveying thecontainers through the machine, means for wrapping the carton blankabout the containers, including means for folding the side panelsdownwardly along the outer sides of the containers and means for foldingfirst one bottom closure panel and then the other bottom closure panelupwardly for tight interlocking engagement under the bottoms of thecontainers, and means for tightening the carton blank against thecontainers,

' (a) said tightening means including a plurality of pairs of tighteningmembers and means for moving first the members of one pair and then themembers of another pair successively against portions of the sidepanels, and

(b) the means for folding said other bottom panel upwardly intointerlocking engagement with said first panel being timed to effect theinterlock when said tightening members are in tightening positionagainst said portions of the side panels.

2. In a machine for applying a wrap-around carton blank to containersand the like arranged in rows, said carton blank having a top panel,side panels, and interlocking bottom closure panels, means for conveyingthe containers through the machine, means for wrapping the carton blankabout the containers, including means for folding the side panelsdownwardly along the outer sides of the containers and means for foldingfirst one bottom closure panel and then the other bottom closure panelupwardly for tight interlocking engagement under the bottoms of thecontainers, and means for tightening the carton blank against thecontainers,

(a) said tightening means including a plurality of pairs of tighteningmembers and means for moving said members in straight lines normal tothe side panels when the latter are in their positions along the outersides of the containers to bring said members against.

portions of the side panels, and

(b) the means for folding said other bottom panel upwardly intointerlocking engagement with said first panel being timed to effect theinterlock when said tightening members are in tightening positionagainst said portions of the side panels.

3. In a machine for applying a wrap-around carton blank to containersand the like arranged in rows, said carton blank having a top panel,side panels, and interlocking bottom closure panels, means for conveyingthe containers through the machine, means for wrapping the carton blankabout the containers, including means for folding the side panelsdownwardly along the outer sides of the containers and means for foldingfirst one bottom closure panel and then the other. bottom closure panelupwardly for tight interlocking engagement under the bottoms of thecontainers, and means for tightening the carton blank against thecontainers,

(a) said tightening means including a plurality of pairs of tighteningmembers and means for'moving first the members of one pair and then themembers of another pair successively against portions of the sidepanels, said last-named means including guides in which said membersmove in straight lines normal to the side panels when the latter are intheir positions along the outer sides of the containers, and

(b) the means for folding said other bottom panel upwardly intointerlocking engagement with said first panel being timed to effect theinterlock when said tightening members are in tightening positionagainst said portions of the side panels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,817,196 Ringler Dec, 24, 1957 2,817,197 Anness Dec. 24, 1957 2,860,461Arneson Nov. 18, 1958

